Focus Area

Global Trade

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Global trade is essential for growth and a key driver of integration and opportunities for local enterprises. Financing trade is fundamental to the movement of goods at all stages of the supply chain and can have a strong development impact on developing countries.

Traders work on the floor of the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, Ghana, June 15, 2006. Traders work on the floor of the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, Ghana, June 15, 2006. Photo: Jonathan Ernst

IFC’s Trade and Commodity Finance programs offer guarantees, risk-sharing facilities, loans and other structured products to support trade in emerging markets. Through these various products, IFC has supported more than 400 financial institutions and thousands of underlying companies in more than 90 countries across all regions of the globe. 

To date, IFC’s Trade and Commodity Finance unit has supported over $145 billion in global trade, all of which is directly linked to the movement of specific goods across emerging market borders. IFC’s Trade and Commodity Finance unit has supported $57 billion in trade in the world's poorest countries, those eligible to borrow from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA). It has also enabled $4.6 billion in trade amid challenging conditions in fragile and conflict-affected states.

Development Impact

Trade finance is a priority for IFC because we have seen the high development impact it can have on developing countries. IFC is playing a leadership role in supporting and protecting global trade flows to the world’s poorest countries at a time when many banks are pulling out of trade finance. IFC is delivering a coordinated set of programs that support global trade by helping stabilize and foster trade and commodity finance. In particular, IFC focuses on supporting trade in areas such as agribusiness, SMEs, and energy, because these have the greatest impact to meet the World Bank Group’s twin goals of eradicating poverty and creating shared prosperity.

To date, IFC’s Trade and Commodity Finance unit has supported over $145 billion in global trade, of which $57 billion has been in IDA countries, all of which is directly linked to the movement of specific goods across emerging market borders. IFC has enabled $4.6 billion in trade amid challenging conditions in fragile and conflict-affected states and has supported trade and investments in 37 of the 40 fragile and conflict-affected states.

Related Programs

Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP)

Extends and complements the capacity of banks to deliver trade financing by providing risk mitigation in new or challenging markets where trade lines may be constrained.

Global Trade Liquidity Program (GTLP)

Brings together IFC’s knowledge of and experience in emerging markets with global private sector banks to support trade in developing markets.
 

Global Trade Supplier Finance (GTSF)

Provides short-term financing to suppliers selling to global or domestic corporates by purchasing and discounting invoices accepted for payment by pre-approved participating buyers.

Global Supply Chain Finance (GSCF)

Provides short-term financing to suppliers engaged in transactions with domestic and international buyers. The program also works with partner financial institutions to promote green supply chain finance and offers advisory services that enhances financial access for  small and medium enterprise (SME) suppliers.

Critical Commodities Finance Program (CCFP)

Channel funds to support the global trade of commodities and to reduce the risk of food and energy shortages and help maintain stable prices for emerging market buyers.

Structured Trade Commodity Finance (STCF)

Collaborative solution to maintain and extend the availability of financing for the trade of critical commodities in emerging markets.
 

Global Warehouse Finance Program (GWFP)

Increase working capital financing available to agricultural producers or traders by leveraging their commodities in storage.

Working Capital Systemic Solutions (WCS)

Provides short-term loans to emerging market banks in markets where macroeconomic factors have caused a reduction in the availability of U.S. dollars.

Countering Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML)

Enroll in the free TBML e-learning course, tailored to front-line staff of financial institutions, to discover how to identify and address TBML.

Contact Us

Yusuke Shimizu
Sr. Communications Officer